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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. Francis William Bailey
British Army 1st Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
from:Long Lawford
Enlistment and training
Francis William Bailey was enlisted as a conscript under the Military Service Act of 1916. This Act deemed all males who reached the age of 18 years to have enlisted. They could choose if they preferred to go into the Royal Navy but other than that had no choice in the matter of regiment or unit to which they were assigned. Enlistment was a two stage process. First, the recruit, who was called up in accordance with details given during a process of National Registration in 1915, would attend a session where he would be medically examined and attested for service. He would then be placed on the army reserve and return home to await a mobilisation notice. The information already listed provides a context for his early service. He reached 18 in October 1917 and could have been called for attestation and then mobilised at any time after that.
The 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment was created on 27 October 1917 in a reorganisation of the army’s infantry training structure. The Young Soldier units carried out the 14 week basic training course, after which the soldier would be passed on to a Graduated Battalion. The 53rd Battalion was based at Chisledon but moved in early November 1917 to Larkhill, both places being on Salisbury Plain. For Francis to be with the battalion on 7 February 1918 probably implies that he had not joined the battalion straight away after his 18th birthday but it was clearly not long after that. It was at this time not legally possible to send a conscripted soldier overseas until he was aged 19. The 18 year-old trainees were held in England, carrying on training or any other useful duty, once they had completed their basic training. The young recruits were known as “A4 menâ€, after a medical category that defined them as fit in all respects except age. Had these conditions continued, Francis would not have been in France until late in 1918. It is possible that he went straight from the 53rd Battalion to France, but more likely is that he had passed for a brief time to either 51st or 52nd (Graduated) Battalion. Both moved to Lowestoft in January 1918.
On 21 March 1918, the enemy launched a huge attack against British Fifth and Third Armies. So great were the losses and so few the reserves that an emergency act was carried in Parliament which enabled men who were 18½ years or more and who had more than six months training to be sent overseas. They were hurriedly despatched to France. We believe that Francis was among them.
Either just before embarkation or on arrival in France, Francis was renumbered to Private 50854. By examining the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, it is certain that men numbered nearby were in France by late May 1918 although of those posted to 1st Battalion none lost their lives before August.
Service in France
On arrival in France, Francis was posted to join his regiment’s 1st Battalion. Later in our report we have provided an outline of the history of the battalion. It is reasonable to assume that Francis moved with it and took part in its actions until he was taken prisoner. Unfortunately it is not possible to tell solely from his number his specific role or which of the four Companies he was posted to. It is not easy to discover when Francis arrived or was captured. The war diary kept by the battalion does not name other ranks. We have checked it throughout the period March to November 1918.
Small numbers of reinforcements arrived at intervals during late March and April 1918, and in larger drafts during May. There was a particularly large draft of 130 men that arrived on 14 May. From June to August, there were once again small numbers dribbling in.
There are relatively few occasions when men were reported missing. These figures undoubtedly include some men were later confirmed or presumed dead, but the remainder will have been taken prisoner:
- 15 April 1918: 13 missing (along with 31 dead and 183 wounded) in desperate defensive fight near Hinges.
- 11 June 1918: 1 man reported as wounded and missing from a patrol.
- 30 June 1918: 1 man reported missing from a raiding party but believed to have been taken to a Casualty Clearing Station.
- 1 July 1918: 1 man reported missing. Battalion was bombarded as it was being relieved and moving to rest.
- 9 August 1918: Second Lieutenant P. Horsley and 9 men missing when their patrol, advancing near Bobeme, found itself surrounded by the enemy. Three men escaped back to battalion.
- 30 August 1918: 24 men reported missing after a disorganised attack near Remy.
- 24 October 1918: 2 men missing after an attack near Verchain. These are the last to be reported as such before the Armistice.
Given that it appears that men with numbers near to Francis were not with 1st battalion before May, clearly the most likely times for him to have been captured were on 9 and 30 August.
Return from POW camp, discharge from the army and after the war
Although the medals documents give no information, Francis would have been discharged by being transferred to Class Z Army Reserve some time in 1919. This was the standard route out of military service for wartime volunteers and conscripts to the regular army. It meant that the soldier could return to civilian life but subject to being recalled if required, for twelve months after discharge. In the event, no Class Z men were recalled and the Class was abolished on 31 March 1920. His campaign medals were sent to him automatically. It was not necessary to claim them. The British War and Victory Medals were usually despatched in 1921. They were to recognise that the soldier had left his native shore and entered a theatre of war, respectively.
Men could make a claim as to any form of disability or medical problem arising from their war service and, subject to the approval of a Medical Board, were usually awarded a pension, the value of which related to their marital and family status and their degree of disablement.
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